Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A playing board is divided up into a number of discrete areas or squares. On each of two opposite sides a fortress area is provided. Each of two players has a set of playing pieces one of which is a standard to be defended in the fortress. Each player has three strongpoints movable about the board and capable of enhancing the strength of the areas of the board which they cover each of said strongpoints consisting of a flat, square member having nine through openings, each of a size to fit over any one of said playing pieces, whereby said member can be placed over any selected group of board areas, irrespective of whether or not there are playing pieces on one or more of said areas. By movement of playing pieces and strongpoints the tactics employed in the besieging and defence of fortresses is simulated.

United States Patent [191 Hills Mar. 26, 1974 1 BOARD GAME APPARATUS[76] inventor: Ronald William Hills, 3 Angeline Close, Marydaie,Highcliffe, Christchurch W23 53?? Hampshire, England [22] Filed: May 8,1972 [21] Appl. No.: 250,918

Primary Examiner--Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon &Thomas 5 7] ABSTRACT A playing board is divided up into a number ofdiscrete areas or squares. On each of two opposite sides a fortress areais provided. Each of two players has a set of playing pieces one ofwhich is a standard to be defended in the fortress. Each player hasthree strongpoints movable about the board and capable of enhancing thestrength of the areas of the board which they cover each of saidstrongpoints consisting of a flat, square member having nine throughopenings, each of a size to fit over any one of said playing pieces,whereby said member can be placed over any selected group of boardareas, irrespective of whether or not there are playing pieces on one ormore of said areas. By movement of playing pieces and strongpoints thetactics employed in the besieging and defence of fortresses issimulated.

7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENIEU R26 1974 SHEET 2 OF 5 F/Gad.

PATENTEDHARZB I974 SHEET 5 BF 5 BOARD GAME APPARATUS This inventionrelates to board games.

One object of the present invention is to provide a board game for twopeople which is broadly based on the concept of a battle between the twoplayers. The manner in which the game is played, to be describedhereinafter, is intended to be consistent with typical battle situationsand the tactics used in dealing with those situations.

Thus in accordance with the present invention there is providedapparatus for playing a game comprising a playing surface divided into aplurality of discrete areas, two mutually distinguishable sets ofplaying pieces which are movable from area to area during play, and aplaying member which is movable about the playing surface during play soas, in association with the playing pieces, to select and enhance thestrength of certain of said areas.

The playing pieces may thus represent the men fighting the battle, whilethe playing surface represents the battle ground. The said playingsurface is preferably a board of wood, cardboard, plastics or othersubstantially rigid material although it can if desired be of flexiblesheet material.-

The game is intended for two players who each control one set of playingpieces and references hereinafter to one side and the other side shouldbe construed accordingly.

The said playing member may be in the form of a framework which ismovable to cover a selected area or areas as aforesaid. Thus the playingmember may be held by one side only, with the possibility that the otherside may capture the member and use it as their own. For the sake ofclarity the aforesaid playing member will hereinafter be referred to asa strongpoint.

The strongpoint may be designed to cover any num ber of said discreteareas which is practicable, having regard to the size of the playingsurface. However, it is preferred to make the strongpoint in the form ofa square, covering nine of said discrete areas.

The manner in which the strength of the areas selected is enhanced willbe laid down by a set of rules. For example the rules may direct thatthe playing pieces of the side not holding the strongpoint are notallowed to enter the areas so selected. Further they may direct that theside holding the strongpoint is allowed greater freedom of movementwithin the areas selected by the strongpoint than outside them.

At the commencement of play each player may be provided with one or morestrongpoints.

In order to enhance the correlation between a real battle and the boardgame according to the invention each side may be provided with afortress. The fortress may comprise a predetermined number of saiddiscrete areas and is fixed throughout the game. The areas thusallocated will, like the areas covered by the strongpoints, be enhancedin strength. Thus the playing pieces of each side will be able to movefreely within their own fortress while pieces of the opposite side areprohibited from entry except under special circumstances.

The rules may also provide for playing pieces to be killed or capturedby the opposite side. Hence, under certain circumstances, a playingpiece may be killed and irretrievably removed from the board, whilstunder other circumstances the piece may merely be captured, whence it isremoved from the normal playing surface to a further playing surface, orprisoner-of-war camp, from whence it may be released under specialcircumstances.

Preferably one of the playing pieces of each side is distinguishablefrom the remainder. This latter playing piece will be hereinafterreferred to as the standard." Thus the first person to kill or capturethe other sides standard in accordance with the rules of the game is thewinner.

In order that the invention may be better understood,

one embodiment thereof, together with a set of rules therefor, will nowbe described by way of example only with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a. plan view of aplaying surface suitable for use with the board game of this invention;

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a plan view of a strongpoint;

FIG. 3 shows representations of the playing pieces and standards whichwill be used in the remainder of the Figures;

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically a plan view of the playing surface set upat the commencement of play;

FIG. 5 shows the 12 different moves which can be made by the strongpointof FIG. 2 which, before the move, contains 9 playing pieces of one side;and

FIGS. 6 to 12 show diagramatically plan views of part of the playingsurface illustrating different situations which can arise during play.

As shown in FIG. I the playing surface comprises a square board 1 theupper surface of which is divided into a number of discrete areas orsquares 2. If desired, each square may be provided in the: centrethereof with an aperture extending downwardly into the board 1. Theplaying pieces may then be provided with cooperating projections whichwill enable easy location of the playing pieces in the desiredpositions.

The game is played with the two players normally facing the respectiveends 3 and 4 of the board. The rows of squares 5 and 6 adjacent the ends3 and 4 of the board are non-playing areas which are used only to housethose playing pieces which have become prisoners. The manner in whichthe prisoners are taken will be described hereinafter.

Each side is also provided with a fortress 7, 8 which is fixedthroughout the game. The fortress has the effect of enhancing thestrength of those squares 2 which it covers. This effect will bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter.

The remainder of the squares 2 of the playing surface represent thefield of battle.

FIG. 2 shows in plan a strongpoint 9. This is a playing member which ismovable during play to cover nine squares 2 of the board. The ninesquares so covered are enhanced in strength in a similar manner to thatof the fortresses. The strongpoint consists of a sheet of planarmaterial, for example of wood or plastics, in which are provided nineapertures 10 extending therethrough. The diameter of each aperture 10 ischosen so that a playing piece may be passed through, and the spacingbetween the apertures is also chosen to suit the size of squares 2. Ahandle 11 is provided on strongpoint 9 in order that it may be liftedeasily.

FIG. 3 shows the representations of the playing pieces which will beused hereinafter to illustrate the various rules of the gameby givingtypical situations.

It will be assumed that, for the purposes of describing the game, thetwo sides are respectively White and Black. Thus in the upper part ofFIG. 3 is shown a representation of a White playing piece on the leftand a Black playing piece on the right. In the lower part of FIG. 3 thestandard is represented. The standard on the left is the White standard,that on the right the Black standard.

For convenience the playing surface is coloured to indicate the side towhich the various squares belong. Thus, in this case for example, thefortresses 7 and 8 may be coloured White and Black respectively. Theprisoner-of-war area 6 belonging to the White fortress 7 will then becoloured Black since it will house Black playing pieces when they becomeprisoners of White. Similarly the row will be c'oloured White. Theremainder of the playing surface, representing the field of battle, maybe coloured with a colour suitable to the type of battle which the gameis intended to represent, for example green.

FIG. 4 shows the game as set up for play and before any moves have beenmade. Each player is equipped with three strongpoints 9, each of whichencloses nine playing pieces of the appropriate side. In addition tothis each player has the squares of his own fortress filled with his ownplaying pieces, hereinafter referred to as men, numbering 17. Theremaining square of the fortress is occupied by the standard.

FIGS. 5 to 12 of the drawings are described with reference to a set ofrules for this game which now follows. It is to be emphasised that theserules are exemplary only, and have been devised as being the best mannerfor putting the novel features of this game into practice. For the sakeof convenience the rules will be numbered consecutively from 1 to 24.

1. A move shall consist either of moving a man or of moving astrongpoint in accordance with the rules.

2. The move of a man may be from any position within the limits of theplaying surface over any number of squares in a straight line forward,sideways or backward, but not diagonally, to any unoccupied squarewithin the limits of the playing surface provided that: a. he does notjump over any other man of either side, b. he does not enter or passthrough any enemy strongpoint, c. except as provided by rules 18 and 19he does not enter any enemy fortress. 3. Subject to the limitations ofrule 2 a man may be moved either? a. to enter or leave his ownstrongpoint,

b. to enter or leave his own fortress,

c. to leave the enemy fortress,

d. to pass through his own strongpoint,

e. to pass through his own fortress.

4. Subject to the limitations of rule 2 a man may be moved to land on asquare occupied by a man of the enemy whereupon the enemy man is killedand irretrievably removed from the board.

5. A man commencing a move from within his own strongpoint may land onany unoccupied square within that strongpoint whether or not the move isin a straight line and whether or not he jumps over other men.

6. A man commencing a move from within his own fortress may land on anyunoccupied square within his fortress whether or not the move is in astraight line and whether or not he jumps over other men provided thatno square within his fortress is occupied by an enemy man or covered byan enemy strongpoint. When the enemy does so occupy or cover any squareof the fortress, all moves shall be in a straight line in accordancewith rules 2, 3 and 4.

7. A standard may not be moved outside of its own fortress at any time.Within its own fortress the standard has the value of a man and rules 5and 6 govern its moves over the squares within its own fortress.

8. When the rules provide for prisoners to be taken such prisoners areremoved from the playing surface and straightway positioned in therelevant prisoner-of-war camp on unoccupied squares to the captorschoice, but once so positioned prisoners may not thereafter be moved bythe captor. Prisoners must be positioned in the prisoner-of-war campwhenever unoccupied squares are available, but prisoners taken at a timewhen all squares in the relevant prisoner-of-war camp are alreadyoccupied become dead and are irretrievably removed from the board.

9. A strongpoint may be moved from wherever it stands to any otherposition within the playing area provided that:

a. before it is moved it contains at least three of its own men.

b. in its new position it contains at least three of its own men.

0. in its new position it contains a greater number of its own men thanmen of the enemy.

(I. no squares in the new positions are already covered by any otherstrongpoint either occupied or abandoned.

Rule 9 is illustrated with reference to FIG. 5 which shows the l2alternative moves which can be made by a strongpoint which contains afull complement of nine men. As shown no move may be made which wouldcause the strongpoint to contain less than three men of the side makingthe move. Obviously if the strongpoint contains fewer than nine men thenumber of alternative moves which may be made will be reduced.

10. When a strongpoint is moved to a position where rule 9(c) applies,as part of that move the enemy men contained by the strongpoint aretaken prisoner.

l l. A strongpoint becomes abandoned when, for any reason, it containsless than three men of one side. Whilst abandoned it may not be moved byeither side and may be played over by both sides as if it were openbattlefield. By normal moves either side may position three men withinan abandoned strongpoint and take it over and thereafter use it as anormal strongpoint. If, at the moment of entry of the third man of oneside the strongpoint already contains one or two men of the enemy, thesemen are taken prisoner as part of that move.

12. When a strongpoint is moved to a position where it abuts an enemystrongpoint on three squares, a front is made, and the number of men ineach strongpoint determines its strength for the purpose of rules 15, 16and 17. In any subsequent move ei ther side may convert a front to asiege as defined by rule 13.

13. When two strongpoints of one army make fronts on two sides of oneenemy strongpoint, a siege is laid. The total of men in the twobesieging strongpoints is matched against the number of men in thebesieged strongpoint to determine strength for the purpose of rules 15,16 and 17. A siege may be converted to a countersiege as defined by rule14.

14. When two strongpoints of each army are positioned to form a complexof four strongpoints within which each army is besieging an enemystrongpoint while at the same time having one ofits own strongpointsbesieged, a countersiege is set up where the total of men in bothstrongpoints of each army are matched against each other to determinestrength for the purpose of rules 15, 16 and 17.

15. A player moving a strongpoint to a position where it completes afront, siege or countersiege where he has the greater strength hasthreatened an opposing strongpoint but no prisoners may be taken fromsuch front, siege or countersiege as part of that move except as may bepossible under rule 10, and the opponent may as his next move remove athreatened strongpoint to a safer position under rule 9 or increase thestrength of a threatened strongpoint by moving in an extra man underrules 2 and 3.

16. Once the move resulting in a front, siege or countersiege has beencompleted, at the commencement of any subsequent move thereafter byeither side should the player about to move find he has the greaterstrength in the front, siege or countersiege he will:

a. in the case of a front, take prisoner all men within the enemystrongpoint,

b. in the case of a siege or countersiege, take prisoner all men withinone enemy strongpoint to his choice, and that enemy strongpoint willbecome abandoned before he makes his move.

17. When a front, siege or countersiege exists wherein the strength ofboth armies is equal, neither side may take prisoners from that positionwhile equality continues, but if one side moves a man into or out of oneof the strongpoints involved the situation shall be as though thatfront, siege or countersiege had just been completed by that side andrules and 16 become immediately effective.

Rules 12 to 17 may be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 9, 10and 11. It will be appreciated that rules l2, l3 and 14 relate to theformation of a front, siege and countersiege respectively while rules15, l6 and 17 relate to the action which should be taken under varioussituations occuring when a front, siege or countersiege has been soformed.

Thus FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the action taken when a front is formed asdefined by rule 12. The situation posed in FIG. 6 is that White has madea front in which both strongpoints each house six men, and thus, by rule17, no prisoners can be taken while the equality continues. The nextmove is to be made by Black. Black should anticipate that White willtake advantage of the position that enables him to move an extra maninto the White strongpoint on each of his next three moves whereas Blackneeds two moves per man. Black can move one man forward ready to enterthe Black strong point to ultimately equalise Whites seventh man, butcannot hope to equalise an eighth man in time. Black would hence be wiseto move his strongpoint to the left, right or backwards.

The situation posed in FIG. 7 is that White has made a front of sixWhite against five Black. To complete this move White now takesprisoners the two Black men en closed by his strongpoint (Rule 10) Blackcan then move an extra man into the Black strongpoint to establishequality at six men each, but thereafter White can move a seventh maninto his strongpoint in one move whereas Black needs two moves for hisseventh man.

The Black strongpoint can retreat one line and the White strongpointwill not follow as this would make a front of three White against sixBlack, but White could take two more prisoners by moving his strongpointone line to the left and one line forward.

If the Black strongpoint moves one line to the right White could eitherfollow to make a new front of six White against four Black, or move twolines left and one line forward to take one more prisoner.

A siege position as defined in rule 13 may be illustrated with referenceto FIG. 9 in which White had made a front of six White to six Black.Black then moved in a seventh man and White countered by moving hisright strongpoint forward to lay a siege. To complete this move Whitenow takes two prisoners (Rule 10) from his right strongpoint and leavesa siege of nine White against seven Black. Black is now forced to movehis strongpoint or allow White, under Rule 16, to take seven prisonersand leave the strongpoint abandoned (see Rule 11).

Rule 14 defining a countersiege may be illustrated with reference toFIGS. 10 and 111. The situation shown in FIG. 10 is that a front existedof eight White against eight Black, when White moved his right-handstrongpoint to lay a siege of 11 White against eight Black. Black thenmoved his second strongpoint to a position on the right of the siegewhere it enclosed five men and converted the siege to a countersiege of11 White against 13 Black. White is now the weaker party and he can takeno prisoners from the position he originally established. White cannot,in one move, equalise his strength with Black, but under rule: 15 he maymove his strongpoint containing three men back one or two lines tosafety and leave a front of eight against eight. lf, perhaps fortactical reasons, White makes a move elsewhere on the board and allowsthe countersiege to continue, then before making his next move Blackwill have the choice of taking either three prisoners from theright-hand White strongpoint or eight from the White left-handstrongpoint, whichever best suits Blacks plan of campaign, and thatstrongpoint will become abandoned. (Rule 16 The situation shown in FIG.11 is that Black made a front of eight Black against five White andWhite countered by moving his right-hand strongpoint forward to lay asiege of eight against eight where White could thereafter increase hisstrength by three extra men in three moves whereas Black can only addone man in two moves. To combat this threat lBlack moved his secndstrongpoint to a position on the right of the siege where it containsfive men and completes a countersiege of 13 Black against eight White.White is now in difficulties and cannot avoid losing one strongpoint. IfWhites lefthand strongpoint is moved to safety there remains a siege of13 Black against three White, if Whites righthand strongpointretreatsthere remains a front of eight Black against five White, and ifWhite makes any other move which leaves the countersiege standing rule16 will allow Black a choice of from which strongpoint he will takeprisoners and leave that strongpoint abandoned before making his nextmove.

18. When a strongpoint is positioned so that it covers any square orsquares of the enemy fortress a. a man already within that strongpointmay move in a straight line into the fortress subject to the limitationsof rule 2(a) and 2(b) and with the benefit of rule 4.

b. a man may pass through his strongpoint into the fortress subject tothe limitations of rule 2( a) and 2(b) and with the benefit of rule 4.

19. When an abandoned strongpoint covers any square or squares of afortress, men may pass through that abandoned strongpoint into the enemyfortress subject to the limitations of rule 2(a) and 2(b) and with thebenefit of rule 4.

20. A man already positioned within the enemy fortress may make straightline moves in that fortress subject to the limitations of rule 2(a) and2(b), and all benefits of rules 3(a), 3(c), 3(d) and 4.

21. Prisoners may be released from the prison-of-war camps as part ofany normal move when:

a. a man lands in the line immediately adjacent the prisoner-of-war campat the enemys end of the board (see FIG. 1) on a square abutting asquare in the prisoner-of-war camp which contains a prisoner. Release iseffected as part of that move by the prisoner leapfrogging over that manin a straight line into the next adjacent line at the enemys endprovided that the square on which he should land is not covered by anememy strongpoint when his escape is blocked, but if the enemystrongpoint is subsequently moved while the man remains in the releasingposition, the prisoner may then escape before the next move thereafteris made. Under this rule a prisoner may leapfrog to an unoccupied squareof his own strongpoint which covers the square on which he should landand he may land on a square occupied by an enemy man when the enemy manis killed as in rule 4.

b. a strongpoint is moved to a position where any of its squares coversquares in the line immediately adjacent the prisoner-of-war camp at theenemys end of the board abutting squares in the prisoner-of-war campwhich contain prisoners, when all such prisoners may escape as part ofthat move by moving one square in a straight line into unoccupiedsquares of that strongpoint. In this method of escape a prisoner may notjump over other men, and if the square in the strongpoint on which heshould land is already occupied, then his escape is blocked, but if thestrongpoint remains in the releasing position and in a subsequent movethe square on which the prisoner should land is unblocked, as part ofthat move the prisoner may escape.

Rule 21(b) may be illustrated with reference to FIG. 8. The situation isthat White has moved a strongpoint from the dotted position to the newposition to enclose four White and two Black men. To complete this moveWhite will now take the two Black men prisoner and then release twoWhite prisoners from the prisoner-ofwar camp.

When the move is complete White will have laid a front of six Whiteagainst five Black, and as the White strongpoint now covers squares ontwo lines of the Black fortress, once the Black strongpoint is moved,two lines of White men can leave their strongpoint and move on normalstraight-line moves in the Black fortress.

22. When a player moves a strongpoint into a new position he may not ashis next move thereafter replace the strongpoint in the position fromwhich it was last moved.

23. A standard is captured when:

a. a man of the opposing side moves in accordance with rules 18, 19 or20 to land on the square occupied by the standard.

b. an opposing strongpoint is positioned under rule 9(c) so that itcontains the standard.

0. the standard is positioned in a strongpoint involved in a front,siege or countersiegc and prisoners are taken in that strongpoint underrule I6.

24. When a standard is captured the game ends with victory to the sidemaking the capture.

Rules 23 and 24 may be illustrated with reference to FIG. 12. Thesituation shown enables White to capture the Black standard within fourmoves.

Whites first move is to position an extra man in his strongpoint asshown by the arrow. Black cannot get a ninth man into his strongpoint onhis next move and will therefore move his strongpoint, and the mostlikely move would be one line back to enclose and protect his standard.

White's second move is his strongpoint one line forward when he takestwo prisoners and then release two of his own men from theprisoner-of-war camp as part of this move. There now exists a front ofeight against eight.

If Black moves a ninth man into his strongpoint Whites third move willbe to move his right-hand strongpoint forward two lines to lay a siegeof l 1 White against nine Black. Black can now only move his strongpointto the right as he is blocked in other directions. If he moves one lineto the right his strongpoint will contain nine men and the Whitestrongpoint would contain five White men only if it followed by movingone line to the right.

White would, however, have a choice for his fourth move, as he couldmove his strongpoint under the rules one line to the right where itwould enclose five White men and three Black, and as part of this movehe would take the three Black men prisoner, and since one of the threemen captured is the Black standard, this is the end of the game.Alternatively, by moving the top righthand White man (a newly releasedprisoner) one square to the right he kills the standard.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a playing surface dividedinto a plurality of discrete areas, said playing surface furtherincluding means defining two mutually distinguishable fortress areas ofequal size arranged on opposite sides of the playing surface, twomutually distinguishable sets of playing pieces which are movable fromarea to area during play, and a playing member which is movable aboutthe playing surface during play so as, in association with the playingpieces, to select and enhance the strength of certain of said areas,said playing member being in the form of an open framework movable tocover a selected number of said discrete areas, the construction of theframework being such that it can be moved onto and away from an areaoccupied by a playing piece without the need to move such playing pieceseparately.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said framework is square.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said framework is arranged tocover nine discrete areas.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said sets of playingpieces has the same number of playing members.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein each set comprises threeplaying members for each player.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein means define an area on eachof two opposite sides of the playing surface, in addition to saidmutually distinguishable areas, designated a prisoner of war camp whencecaptured playing pieces of an opponent are transferred.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the two sets ofplaying pieces includes one piece having identifying means thereonwhereby it is distinguishable from the others of the same set, captureof the distinguishable playing piece of an opponent constituting anobject of the game.

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a playing surface dividedinto a plurality of discrete areas, said playing surface furtherincluding means defining two mutually distinguishable fortress areas ofequal size arranged on opposite sides of the playing surface, twomutually distinguishable sets of playing pieces which are movable fromarea to area during pLay, and a playing member which is movable aboutthe playing surface during play so as, in association with the playingpieces, to select and enhance the strength of certain of said areas,said playing member being in the form of an open framework movable tocover a selected number of said discrete areas, the construction of theframework being such that it can be moved onto and away from an areaoccupied by a playing piece without the need to move such playing pieceseparately.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said framework issquare.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said framework isarranged to cover nine discrete areas.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim1 wherein each of said sets of playing pieces has the same number ofplaying members.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein each setcomprises three playing members for each player.
 6. Apparatus as claimedin claim 1 wherein means define an area on each of two opposite sides ofthe playing surface, in addition to said mutually distinguishable areas,designated a prisoner of war camp whence captured playing pieces of anopponent are transferred.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 whereineach of the two sets of playing pieces includes one piece havingidentifying means thereon whereby it is distinguishable from the othersof the same set, capture of the distinguishable playing piece of anopponent constituting an object of the game.